LLM, MCL, SJD, PhD

Current Student Profiles

“Bloomington Is My Second Home”

Rong-geng Tsai, LLM, SJD’08

Rong-geng Tsai had never been to the United States before he came to Bloomington for Indiana Law’s graduate studies program. When he landed at the Indianapolis International Airport after a 30-hour flight from Taiwan, he heard everyone around him speaking English and realized how far from home he’d come.

Indiana Law students, faculty, and staff quickly calmed Tsai’s fears about living in a new country. “People here are so friendly and willing to smile at you,” he says. “That relaxed me a lot. Now I feel that Bloomington is my second home.” Tsai’s research focus is on criminal law and procedure, and he plans to practice law or become a professor after completing the degree. The Taiwanese legal system is different from the United States’, but Tsai says mastering two distinct legal systems has facilitated comparative study and broadened his understanding of both systems.

Why Indiana? “Indiana Law has lots of excellent alumni in Taiwan. Their great performance is the best publicity for IU. Law School professors and staff visited many times, and that made IU more well-known in Taiwan. If I have the chance, without any hesitation, I would recommend that my friends or students come here for advanced study and to experience a different culture.”

The Indiana Law community: “The [Graduate Legal Studies] program does a great job of helping international students adjust to the new environment. Lesley Davis, assistant dean for international programs; Professor [Lisa] Farnsworth; and Lara Gose, graduate admissions coordinator, have great passion for helping students in life and in school. Their doors are always open for us. Indiana professors have a lot of experience working with international students.”

Future plans: “I want to be a law professor or practice law in Taiwan. I am quite open to either career. I will use what I learned here to work with my colleagues or students, and I hope my knowledge can benefit them.”